(ח) וַיִּגְדַּ֥ל הַיֶּ֖לֶד וַיִּגָּמַ֑ל וַיַּ֤עַשׂ אַבְרָהָם֙ מִשְׁתֶּ֣ה גָד֔וֹל בְּי֖וֹם הִגָּמֵ֥ל אֶת־יִצְחָֽק׃
(8) The child grew up and was weaned, and Abraham held a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.
(א) ויגמל. לְסוֹף כ"ד חֹדֶשׁ (גיטין ע"ה):
(1) ויגמל AND HE WAS WEANED — at the expiration of twenty- four months (Gittin 75b).
(ט) וַתֵּ֨רֶא שָׂרָ֜ה אֶֽת־בֶּן־הָגָ֧ר הַמִּצְרִ֛ית אֲשֶׁר־יָלְדָ֥ה לְאַבְרָהָ֖ם מְצַחֵֽק׃
(9) Sarah saw the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham playing.
(א) מצחק. לְשׁוֹן עֲ"זָ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וַיָּקֻמוּ לְצַחֵק (שמות ל"ב), דָּ"אַ לְשׁוֹן גִּלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת, כְּמָה דְּתֵימָא לְצַחֶק בִּי (בראשית ל"ט), דָּ"אַ לְשׁוֹן רְצִיחָה, כְּמוֹ יָקוּמוּ נָא הַנְּעָרִים וִישַׂחֲקוּ לְפָנֵינוּ וְגוֹ' (שמואל ב ב'), שֶׁהָיָה מֵרִיב עִם יִצְחָק עַל הַיְרֻשָּׁה וְאוֹמֵר אֲנִי בְּכוֹר וְנוֹטֵל פִּי שְׁנַיִם, וְיוֹצְאִים בַּשָּׂדֶה וְנוֹטֵל קַשְׁתּוֹ וְיוֹרֶה בוֹ חִצִּים, כְּמָה דְּתֵימָא כְּמִתְלַהְלֵהַּ הַיֹּרֶה זִקִּים וְגוֹ' וְאָמַר הֲלֹא מְשַׂחֵק אָנִי (משלי כ"ו):
(1) מצחק MAKING SPORT — This means worshipping idols, as it is said in reference of the Golden Calf, (Exodus 32:6) “And they rose up to make merry (לצחק).” Another explanation is that it refers to immoral conduct, just as you say in reference to Potiphar’s wife, (Genesis 39:17) “To mock (לצחק) at me.” Another explanation is that it refers to murder, as (2 Samuel 2:14) “Let the young men, I pray thee, arise and make sport (וישחקו) before us” (where they fought with and killed one another) From Sarah’s reply — “for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son״ — you may infer that he (Ishmael) was quarrelling with Isaac about the inheritance, saying, “I am the first-born and will, therefore, take a double portion”. They went into the field and he (Ishmael) took his bow and shot arrows at him (Isaac), just as you say (Proverbs 26:18-19) “As a madman who casteth firebrands, [arrows and death] and says: I am only מצחק mocking” (Genesis Rabbah 53:11).
(יח) כְּֽ֭מִתְלַהְלֵהַּ הַיֹּרֶ֥ה זִקִּ֗ים חִצִּ֥ים וָמָֽוֶת׃
(18) Like a madman scattering deadly firebrands, arrows,
Does the text explicitly say that Ishmael was evil? Hint? Why or why not?
(י) וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לְאַבְרָהָ֔ם גָּרֵ֛שׁ הָאָמָ֥ה הַזֹּ֖את וְאֶת־בְּנָ֑הּ כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יִירַשׁ֙ בֶּן־הָאָמָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את עִם־בְּנִ֖י עִם־יִצְחָֽק׃
(10) She said to Abraham, “Cast out that slave-woman and her son, for the son of that slave shall not share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.”
What inheritance does Sarah mean?
What was her original intent regarding Ishmael’s birth?
(יא) וַיֵּ֧רַע הַדָּבָ֛ר מְאֹ֖ד בְּעֵינֵ֣י אַבְרָהָ֑ם עַ֖ל אוֹדֹ֥ת בְּנֽוֹ׃
(11) The matter distressed Abraham greatly, for it concerned a son of his.
(א) על אודות בנו. שֶׁשָּׁמַע שֶׁיָּצָא לְתַרְבּוּת רָעָה (בראשית רבה), וּפְשׁוּטוֹ עַל שֶׁאָמְרָה לוֹ לְשַׁלְּחוֹ:
(1) על אדות בנו ON ACCOUNT OF HIS SON — because he heard that he had taken to degenerate ways (Exodus Rabbah 1:1). The real meaning, however, is because she (Sarah) had told him to send him away.
(יב) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֜ים אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֗ם אַל־יֵרַ֤ע בְּעֵינֶ֙יךָ֙ עַל־הַנַּ֣עַר וְעַל־אֲמָתֶ֔ךָ כֹּל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר תֹּאמַ֥ר אֵלֶ֛יךָ שָׂרָ֖ה שְׁמַ֣ע בְּקֹלָ֑הּ כִּ֣י בְיִצְחָ֔ק יִקָּרֵ֥א לְךָ֖ זָֽרַע׃
(12) But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed over the boy or your slave; whatever Sarah tells you, do as she says, for it is through Isaac that offspring shall be continued for you.
Does Sarah expect Abraham to care less about Ishmael because she isn’t the mother? Does God expect that?
(א) כי ביצחק יקרא לך זרע. עיקר זרעך הוא יצחק אותו זרע שאמר בו לך ולזרעך אתן את הארץ הזאת:
(יג) וְגַ֥ם אֶת־בֶּן־הָאָמָ֖ה לְג֣וֹי אֲשִׂימֶ֑נּוּ כִּ֥י זַרְעֲךָ֖ הֽוּא׃
(13) As for the son of the slave-woman, I will make a nation of him, too, for he is your seed.”
(א) וגם את בן האמה וגם אין ראוי שתדאג על שתגרש את הבן כי תגרש את בן האמה ולא בנך מכל מקום לגוי אשימנו כי זרעך הוא. לא שיהיה הוא ראוי לכך:
(1) וגם את בן האמה, you have no reason to worry about expelling your son, as you are expelling the son of the slave woman. You do not expel him in his capacity of being your son. At any rate, I will make him into a nation seeing that he is your seed, not because he deserves such a distinction.
(יד) וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֣ם אַבְרָהָ֣ם ׀ בַּבֹּ֡קֶר וַיִּֽקַּֽח־לֶ֩חֶם֩ וְחֵ֨מַת מַ֜יִם וַיִּתֵּ֣ן אֶל־הָ֠גָ֠ר שָׂ֧ם עַל־שִׁכְמָ֛הּ וְאֶת־הַיֶּ֖לֶד וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֶ֑הָ וַתֵּ֣לֶךְ וַתֵּ֔תַע בְּמִדְבַּ֖ר בְּאֵ֥ר שָֽׁבַע׃
(14) Early next morning Abraham took some bread and a skin of water, and gave them to Hagar. He placed them over her shoulder, together with the child, and sent her away. And she wandered about in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.
(א) לחם וחמת מים. וְלֹא כֶסֶף וְזָהָב, לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה שׂוֹנְאוֹ עַל שֶׁיָּצָא לְתַרְבּוּת רָעָה:
(1) לחם וחמת מים BREAD AND A BOTTLE OF WATER — but not silver and gold, because he hated him for taking to degenerate ways (Exodus Rabbah 1:1).
(ב) ואת הילד. אַף הַיֶּלֶד שָׂם עַל שִׁכְמָהּ, שֶׁהִכְנִיסָה בוֹ שָׂרָה עַיִן רָעָה וַאֲחָזַתּוּ חַמָּה וְלֹא יָכוֹל לֵילֵךְ בְּרַגְלָיו (בראשית רבה):
(2) ואת הילד AND THE CHILD — the child, too, he placed on her shoulder, for Sarah had cast an evil eye upon him, so that a fever seized him and he could not walk (Genesis Rabbah 53:13).
(ג) ותלך ותתע. חָזְרָה לְגִלּוּלֵי בֵית אָבִיהָ (פרקי דרבי אליעזר פ' ל'):
(3) ותלך ותתע AND SHE WENT AND WANDERED — she reverted to the idol worship of her father’s house (Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 30).
(טו) וַיִּכְל֥וּ הַמַּ֖יִם מִן־הַחֵ֑מֶת וַתַּשְׁלֵ֣ךְ אֶת־הַיֶּ֔לֶד תַּ֖חַת אַחַ֥ד הַשִּׂיחִֽם׃
(15) When the water was gone from the skin, she left the child under one of the bushes,
(טו) וַיִּכְל֥וּ הַמַּ֖יִם מִן־הַחֵ֑מֶת וַתַּשְׁלֵ֣ךְ אֶת־הַיֶּ֔לֶד תַּ֖חַת אַחַ֥ד הַשִּׂיחִֽם׃
(15) When the water was gone from the skin, she left the child under one of the bushes,
(טז) וַתֵּ֩לֶךְ֩ וַתֵּ֨שֶׁב לָ֜הּ מִנֶּ֗גֶד הַרְחֵק֙ כִּמְטַחֲוֵ֣י קֶ֔שֶׁת כִּ֣י אָֽמְרָ֔ה אַל־אֶרְאֶ֖ה בְּמ֣וֹת הַיָּ֑לֶד וַתֵּ֣שֶׁב מִנֶּ֔גֶד וַתִּשָּׂ֥א אֶת־קֹלָ֖הּ וַתֵּֽבְךְּ׃
(16) and went and sat down at a distance, a bowshot away; for she thought, “Let me not look on as the child dies.” And sitting thus afar, she burst into tears.
(יז) וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע אֱלֹהִים֮ אֶת־ק֣וֹל הַנַּ֒עַר֒ וַיִּקְרָא֩ מַלְאַ֨ךְ אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀ אֶל־הָגָר֙ מִן־הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וַיֹּ֥אמֶר לָ֖הּ מַה־לָּ֣ךְ הָגָ֑ר אַל־תִּ֣ירְאִ֔י כִּֽי־שָׁמַ֧ע אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶל־ק֥וֹל הַנַּ֖עַר בַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר הוּא־שָֽׁם׃
(17) God heard the cry of the boy, and an angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heeded the cry of the boy where he is.
(יח) ק֚וּמִי שְׂאִ֣י אֶת־הַנַּ֔עַר וְהַחֲזִ֥יקִי אֶת־יָדֵ֖ךְ בּ֑וֹ כִּֽי־לְג֥וֹי גָּד֖וֹל אֲשִׂימֶֽנּוּ׃
(18) Come, lift up the boy and hold him by the hand, for I will make a great nation of him.”
(יט) וַיִּפְקַ֤ח אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶת־עֵינֶ֔יהָ וַתֵּ֖רֶא בְּאֵ֣ר מָ֑יִם וַתֵּ֜לֶךְ וַתְּמַלֵּ֤א אֶת־הַחֵ֙מֶת֙ מַ֔יִם וַתַּ֖שְׁקְ אֶת־הַנָּֽעַר׃
(19) Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. She went and filled the skin with water, and let the boy drink.
(א) ויפקח אלהים את עיניה נתן בה דעת להכיר מקום מים שהיה שם כי לא היתה סומא קודם לכן:
(1) ויפקח אלוקים את עיניה, He granted her the instinct to look for water in the place where she would find it. She had not been blind previously so that her eyes had to be “opened.”
(כ) וַיְהִ֧י אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶת־הַנַּ֖עַר וַיִּגְדָּ֑ל וַיֵּ֙שֶׁב֙ בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר וַיְהִ֖י רֹבֶ֥ה קַשָּֽׁת׃
(20) God was with the boy and he grew up; he dwelt in the wilderness and became a bowman.
(כא) וַיֵּ֖שֶׁב בְּמִדְבַּ֣ר פָּארָ֑ן וַתִּֽקַּֽח־ל֥וֹ אִמּ֛וֹ אִשָּׁ֖ה מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃ {פ}
(21) He lived in the wilderness of Paran; and his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.